Corn that is stored in decent conditions is not normally sensitive to age that is only the second year.

Certain types of sweet corn are sensitive to cool weather at germination. You did not specify whether you had a more shrunken type or not.

I suggest that you wait a few days longer. If the ground is still moist, it would help to cover the planting with clear plastic until it starts to come up.

If stored under reasonable conditions the seed should be fine. The temperatures, however, strike me as rather cool for corn, which usually likes warm soil when germinating.

If the soil is too cool even the best of seed might rot instead of germinate.

I store my seed in a sealed container in the fridge. A couple of years ago I planted some corn from seed that was 18 years old. Got a decent crop from it too. (the oldest seed I have germinated is a winter squash that was 21 years old).

I agree that its probably the soil temps that are your problem.

I know corn might be different than beans. I read archeologist found some beans in a cave in southwest that were several hundred years old. They planted some and they came up and made beans. How they know how old they are I'll never know.

Also be aware that birds will come early in the morning and dig up your corn seeds. You think they rotted or weren't good, and the crows are laughing their heads off.

If I plant last year's seeds, I usually throw in a few more, just in case. If they all come up, it's easy to thin them.

Last year, I got about 35% germination out of 10 year old corn seed that was stored in an attic crawlspace that can get as hot as 140 degrees in the summer.

So, I doubt the storage was the issue. However, one thing to check for -- certain types of beetle and moth larvae can get into stored corn that hasn't been pre=-treated with pesticides and eat the germ -- if there is any frass or holes, that could have happened.

Most likely, though, as stated above, your soil is still too cool.

As the OP didn't give soil temp, I agree that soil temp likely too cool. Birds would be my Plan B.

Dan

Don't know about newer varieties but there have been corn kernals found in ancient caves here in the SW that are still viable!

Thanks, everyone! The cool snap we've had the past few days leaves little doubt now. Looks like I'll replant. (and, of course, as soon as I do, the little buggers will crop up!)